Chris Harlan stories, Page 108

Some years it’s at cornerback. Sometimes it’s the linebackers. This year, the largest collection of WPIAL and City League star power could be at defensive line. Westinghouse’s Dayon Hayes, Central Catholic’s A.J. Beatty and Elliot Donald and West Mifflin’s Nahki Johnson have major-college offers from across the country. Among Pennsylvania...

The offensive line is always strong spot for the WPIAL, and it is among the deepest positions again this season. This year’s group of offensive linemen is led by Mars senior Michael Carmody, a two-sport standout who drew Power 5 scholarship offers from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC...

There won’t be a fullback in the backfield, the tight end is optional and running backs might play wide receiver, but Bethel Park’s offense isn’t completely new. “To the lay person, it will look a lot different,” first-year coach Brian Delallo said. “It’s no huddle. We’re in more spread sets....

Upper St. Clair returns only three players who started last season, a seemingly tough spot for a first-year coach. Mike Junko sees things differently. “We’re kind of excited about that,” said Junko, who was promoted to replace coach Jim Render. “In a lot of ways, with these kids it’s a...

The traditional hand-on-the-ground tight end has disappeared from some offenses around Western Pennsylvania. As high school offenses have evolved, so too has the position. But it’s clear the tight end position isn’t going extinct. In fact, the WPIAL has sent quite a few tight ends to Division I colleges in...

Last season was a difficult one for Central Catholic, hampered at times by turnovers and other self-inflicted mistakes. In a September matchup with Pine-Richland, the Vikings lost the football seven times to their rival, one of the low points in a season that they’re eager to put behind them. The...

If there’s a difference between Class 5A and 6A football, maybe it’s the size of the linemen. At least, that’s what Bob Palko has seen since taking over Mt. Lebanon’s program in February. Palko coached West Allegheny for 24 seasons and won eight WPIAL titles, but this Blue Devils’ offensive...

Western Pennsylvania was known historically for producing hall of fame quarterbacks, a trend that shifted in recent decades to superstar defensive backs. But nowadays, the WPIAL seems to be producing quite a few Division I wide receivers. Last season, the WPIAL sent wideouts to Pitt, Ball State, Kent State, Maryland,...

There was a worry the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs might be boring because every game is a rematch from the regular season. After last year, that’s no longer a concern. Not after watching fifth-seeded Seneca Valley celebrate a couple of postseason upsets, including a 17-point win over No. 1 North...

Mars basketball standout Khori Fusco, who was a senior last season, announced Tuesday he’s headed to a powerhouse prep school near Shippensburg. Fusco will attend Scotland Campus, he announced on Twitter. The Franklin County school has produced a number of Division I recruits under coach Chris Chaney, who just finished...

High school football has become a pass-oriented game, but that doesn’t mean teams across Western Pennsylvania have abandoned running the football. Eight of the 12 teams that reached WPIAL championships last year had at least one 1,000-yard rusher. Three of the finalists — Rochester, Steel Valley and Derry — had...

Bob Palko compared the first day of football camp to planning a beach vacation, even though the only deep blue in sight Monday was Mt. Lebanon’s helmets and his new Blue Devils shorts. “You dream all year about getting to the beach,” he said. “What’s it going to look like?”...

For the fourth year in a row, the WPIAL had a high school football player chosen for the All-American Bowl. Mars senior Michael Carmody announced Monday that he’d accepted an invitation to the all-star game in San Antonio. The game, which features players from across the country, will be Jan....

Jose Osuna’s key for being a good pinch hitter is to always be ready. “Be ready in every inning,” said Osuna, who has excelled in that role this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I think that’s the most important, be ready for the first pitch.” Now, he seems more than...

The past two dozen games, with 20 losses and only four wins, were the worst stretch Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle could remember. That’s mostly because his team still was mired in this slide. “Last year it seemed like the worst stretch I’d ever been in,” said Hurdle, whose team...

The WPIAL approved Isiah Warfield to play basketball in the regular season, but the Central Valley transfer remains ineligible for the playoffs. The 6-foot-5 rising senior and Liberty recruit was a 25-point scorer at Sewickley Academy. The WPIAL board decided his eligibility Monday based on transfer paperwork submitted by the...

Lance Maha, who coached boys basketball at West Mifflin for two decades, is returning to the WPIAL after one season away. Maha was announced Tuesday as coach at Propel Braddock Hills, a charter school team that made its WPIAL debut last season. Maha’s teams reached the playoffs 17 times in...

On the eve of commitment day, Aliquippa linebacker Zuriah Fisher decided to postpone his decision. “Due to the process being a bit overwhelming for me I’ll be pushing my commitment date back,” Fisher wrote Sunday night on Twitter. The three-star recruit had initially said he’d commit Aug. 5. He lists...

As teammates on a last-place club, the trade deadline could’ve seen Melky Cabrera, Starling Marte or Felipe Vazquez playing elsewhere this weekend. Instead, Cabrera lined a two-run double off the bullpen fence and Marte hit a three-run homer Friday night as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Mets, 8-4,...

Keone Kela told the truth in Cincinnati, and he is pretty sure that’s why he’s facing a 10-game suspension. The Pittsburgh Pirates reliever drew the harshest punishment of anyone involved in Tuesday’s brawl with the Reds. Kela stirred long-simmering nastiness when he threw a pitch over Derek Dietrich’s head, an...

Jameson Taillon needs surgery to repair a tendon in his pitching arm, ending any hopes that he could throw again this season. Taillon needs surgery to fix an injured flexor tendon, said trainer Todd Tomczyk, not the ulnar collateral ligament that was repaired in 2014 during Tommy John surgery. The...

The glove was still there, but two seasons away from the majors was probably too much for Jung Ho Kang’s bat to overcome. “That’s our take on it,” manager Clint Hurdle said Friday after the Pirates designated the Korean infielder for assignment. “Love the growth of the man off the...

The first day of August is the date each year that college football coaches can send written scholarship offers to high school seniors. The official offers began arriving just after midnight Thursday and WPIAL recruits quickly took to social media. Here’s a look at some of the announcements shared online....